With America’s semiquincentennial set to take place over the weekend, people all over the country are prepping their grills and parade floats; but there’s one other tradition that has authorities issuing warnings.
Fourth of July fireworks are involved in approximately 75% of the annual 15,000 firework-related emergency room visits every year. Data from the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission shows that anywhere between eight and 15 people die in firework-related accidents every year. The most common type of injury from household pyrotechnics is burns; however, these accidents can also result in amputations, blast trauma, and severe eye injuries. For young children and toddlers, the leading injury type is a burn from sparklers.
In 2025, at least 15 people died as the result of a firework accident, the agency reported. Many of these incidents involved misuse of the device, misfires and/or malfunctions. Those aged 15 to 24 years old accounted for the majority of the injured.



